Ja change mind on Powell and Co

BERLIN: Jamaica withdrew their request to ban sprint star Asafa Powell and several teammates from the World Athletics Championships on Wednesday, just hours after saying they would be kicked off the team in a dispute over training camp attendance.

IAAF Secretary General Pierre Weiss said the world governing body put pressure on the Jamaican federation to change its mind because the exclusion of the six prominent athletes would reflect badly on the championship itself.

"We asked Jamaica to reconsider in the interest of sport," Weiss said.